In 1955, the US National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA - predecessor to NASA), issued a request for proposals for an experimental vertical takeoff research aircraft. The aircraft was to be capable of conventional as well as vertical takeoff and landing without physical modification, and was required to achieve supersonic speeds in level flight. Ideally, the aircraft should be able to be developed into a combat fighter aircraft (although this was not a requirement). The winning proposal came from Chance Vought Aircraft, and a single prototype was ordered in fiscal year 1956.
Vought's design was based on the airframe of their brand new F-8 Crusader fighter. Vertical flight was achieved by two rotating wingtip nacelles each containing a non-afterburning Pratt & Whitney J-57P-10 developing 12,100 pounds of thrust. A third J-57P-10 occupied the position of the F-8s original engine, but included a rotating exhaust nozzle that deflected the thrust 90 degrees downward for vertical takeoff, or directly back for conventional flight. Balance and control was maintained by using engine bleed air for downward thrust through a series of four nozzles at the nose of the aircraft: these nozzles were fed through externally mounted tubes along the fuselage side. This was an expedient measure that prevented a major redesign of the F-8's fuselage internals. Dubbed V-900 by Vought, the aircraft was delivered to the NACA Ames research laboratory in February, 1958 (and was, incidentally, the last aircraft to carry NACA titles before NACA became NASA).
The model was originally a 1/72 Heller A-7. Wingtip nacelles were scratch built (the front portion came from a Testor's B-66), and mounted on at the A-7's wingfold joint. Other tidbits came from the spares bin. NACA decals came from a "FunDekals" F-106 set, except the national insignia, which came from the B-66.
I HATE silver paint - the silver paint in question was a leftover rattle can of Testor's chrome. Got too close and it ran and made a horrible mess - fixed as best I could (almost binned the whole thing). Also, the canopy (which I very carefully masked for painting) got ruined I presume by CA fumes (the whole thing looked beautifully clear before I masked it and glued it on.
Anyway, I am somewhat happy with how it turned out. I await your comments or suggestions for improvement.
Chuck
